Hi everyone,
My 2005 has some mildew staining on the underside of the tents that has progressively gotten worse. I have tried every home remedy I could find on the internet to try an get rid of it, but nothing has worked. I also tried a few different commercial products for boats that also didn't work.
I finally found some info that suggested the Bass Pro Shops brand mildew remover has worked well for some people. I bought a couple bottles and tonight I finally tried it out on a small area. I think I finally found what I have been looking for!
The pics are before and then after a ten minute spray soak followed by a few rounds of a washcloth rinse with clean water. While not 100 percent perfect, it's MUCH better. I think the next trial will be a 15 or 20 minute pause to see if the results are even better.
Note, the product says not for use on fabrics, but my guess is that is because it would bleach the dyes out. Since this material is supposed to be white anyway, I'm giving it a shot. Worst case scenario is we get wet every time it rains, but at least we dont have to lie there and look at the stains anymore. 🙂
My 2005 has some mildew staining on the underside of the tents that has progressively gotten worse. I have tried every home remedy I could find on the internet to try an get rid of it, but nothing has worked. I also tried a few different commercial products for boats that also didn't work.
I finally found some info that suggested the Bass Pro Shops brand mildew remover has worked well for some people. I bought a couple bottles and tonight I finally tried it out on a small area. I think I finally found what I have been looking for!
The pics are before and then after a ten minute spray soak followed by a few rounds of a washcloth rinse with clean water. While not 100 percent perfect, it's MUCH better. I think the next trial will be a 15 or 20 minute pause to see if the results are even better.
Note, the product says not for use on fabrics, but my guess is that is because it would bleach the dyes out. Since this material is supposed to be white anyway, I'm giving it a shot. Worst case scenario is we get wet every time it rains, but at least we dont have to lie there and look at the stains anymore. 🙂
Just a quick update for anyone who stumbles across this one in the future.
I got the "ceiling" of the tent ends cleaned up and they are perfectly white like brand new. I also tested a small area of my gray window canvas and the Bass Pro mildew remover did not affect its color. It didn't seem to do as good a job on the side canvas, but I also didn't bother to let it as long since the windows were fairly clean anyway. Once I reinstall them I will give them a re-coating of 303 Fabric Guard to make them waterproof again.
Word of caution, this stuff is pretty potent so I ended up pulling the tents off and working with them outside in the shade. Being inside the camper and using it was not going to work without killing some brain cells or losing my sense of smell. Plus, outside I could hose it off real well rather than giving it a sponge bath.
Here's one more picture before I moved outside.
I got the "ceiling" of the tent ends cleaned up and they are perfectly white like brand new. I also tested a small area of my gray window canvas and the Bass Pro mildew remover did not affect its color. It didn't seem to do as good a job on the side canvas, but I also didn't bother to let it as long since the windows were fairly clean anyway. Once I reinstall them I will give them a re-coating of 303 Fabric Guard to make them waterproof again.
Word of caution, this stuff is pretty potent so I ended up pulling the tents off and working with them outside in the shade. Being inside the camper and using it was not going to work without killing some brain cells or losing my sense of smell. Plus, outside I could hose it off real well rather than giving it a sponge bath.
Here's one more picture before I moved outside.
Just a quick update, I did let it sit for 15 minutes tonight and the stains were completely gone...no scrubbing needed. Just did a good rinsing with clean water and sponge.
For kicks I also tried it on the spare tire cover and the right side of the screw trim. While not back to new, the results seem positive! Sorry for the color differences, it was getting dark when I took the afters.
For kicks I also tried it on the spare tire cover and the right side of the screw trim. While not back to new, the results seem positive! Sorry for the color differences, it was getting dark when I took the afters.
